1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game system in which a user enjoys playing the game with music.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known a game system designed such that a user enjoys playing the game in conformity with music. Such a game system is disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent application No. 11-151380, for example. In a game system of such kind, instructions of successive operation or manipulation of an input device, which is in conformity with background music, is shown to the user as playing instruction. If the user manipulates the input device in accordance with the instruction, the sound effect corresponding to the manipulation is outputted in addition to background music, and the play by the user is evaluated based on the degree of coincidence between the manipulation instruction shown to the user and the actual manipulation performed by the user.
In the music game described above, the user needs to select a tune or tunes before starting the game. In some game systems, it is also necessary for the user to set difficulty level of play and/or various options and modes, in addition to the selection of tunes. In a conventional game system, the user needs to select tunes and set various setting as described above (hereinafter referred to as "play condition setting") tune by tune for every tunes to play. Namely, the user sets play condition for a tune, then plays that tune, and sets play condition for another tune, and then plays that tune. However, it is troublesome and time-consuming to set play condition tune by tune. Particularly, in the music game of the above mentioned kind, a user feels uncomfortable or irritating if he or she has to set play condition of next tune after playing one tune because such a setting operation necessarily interrupts the user's enjoyable play. Generally, users desire to play tunes successively with lively feeling, without interruption.